Civic Center moved to new home on Pointe aux Barques Road

Kate Hessling, Tribune Staff Writer

Published 2:48 pm, Friday, April 22, 2016

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

Civic Center moved to new home on Pointe aux Barques Road

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

PORT AUSTIN— The Port Austin Civic Center’s big move from its downtown location to the area historical society’s property on Pointe aux Barques Road got off to an earlier start than expected Wednesday.

Diane Ellicott, Port Austin Area Historical Society president, said the move began at about 8 a.m. Wednesday.

“It’s amazing to see how they do that,” she said in explaining the building’s move, which was handled by Talaski Building Movers of Bad Axe.

The Bad Axe building/moving company donated its services to haul the building from its downtown location at 2 W. Spring St. up East Spring Street to Pointe aux Barques Road.

Todd Talaski, of Talaski Building Movers, told the Tribune earlier this week that his business has done a lot of work in the Port Austin area, and is glad to have the opportunity to help the local historical society.

The society estimated his donated time saved thousands of dollars.

Port Austin Clerk Thomas Rapson said there was a good crowd gathered Wednesday morning to see the big move.

Ellicott estimated there were between 30 to 50 people who came out to see Wednesday’s move.

“There were people all along the route,” she said, noting at one point the crowd broke out in applause as the move was under way.

Now that the building is at its new location, the society has to get things in order for electric utilities, put in a septic and buy a new furnace, Ellicott said.

The society is selling raffle tickets to help finance those endeavors, and to operate the building in the future.

She said the building will serve as a local museum, as many historical society members have artifacts and papers they are planning to donate or loan to the museum’s collection.